IU CC Helps Young Girls Get Healthcare

Adolescent girls in Rajasthan benefit from a government scheme because of our Community Correspondent (CC) Sunita’s reporting.

Since Sunita has a press card, she receives a book called Sujak every month which describes the various government schemes in place. She was perusing through this and found out about the Kishori Balika Scheme, which is part of a larger government programme aimed at delaying the age of marriage, reducing the incidence of teenage pregnancies and maternal deaths, and generally improving the nutrition and health of adolescent girls. In Rajasthan, where child marriage is quite common, the scheme is especially important. Sunita decided to find out whether girls from the age of 10-19 in her neighbourhood were actually receiving what they were meant to be under this scheme: iron tablets, and information about sexual health, menstruation and pregnancy.

As she shows in her video, the majority of the people she interviewed during her survey had heard the name of the scheme before, but didn’t know anything more about it and had definitely not received any of its provisions. Sometime back the assistants from their Anganwadi centre (government-run pre-school) had come around to find out how many adolescent girls and

pregnant women there were. When Sunita went to there to find out why they hadn’t followed up, they refused to give her an interview and said that they had not received any tablets or instructions.

After her visit, the girls and women she had interviewed and shot on camera went to the Anganwadi centre to complain. “They came two weeks later, the women from the Anganwadi. They went to all the homes and gave out 30 iron tablets to all the teenage girls. They also called them for a training…they taught them about periods and how to be careful during pregnancy,” says Sunita. “I feel very happy because I was able to help so many women. I want to continue making them aware of things they should be getting.”

Watch other videos by Sunita on IndiaUnheard

Sunita Kasera
I live in Karauli, Rajasthan with my husband and children. I was in the process of completing my Master’s degree when I got married. My father promised me that I could continue my studies after marriage, but my in-laws didn’t allow it. So in the beginning I was a housewife confined to four walls. But my husband is very supportive and as our family grew, I needed to earn so I started working for an NGO dealing with empowerment of women, water harvesting and informing people about public schemes available. I’ve always had a lot of interest in politics and development, and when I heard about Video Volunteers I decided to apply. Since I started making videos, I have become well known in my locality. I talk to a lot of people from all backgrounds, people approach me with problems and this makes me feel good, like I’m doing something. I love meeting people and researching stories. I am now in contact with several government officials, and I was the first women to be invited to join the Press Committee and it makes me feel proud.

Sunita Kasera has produced 52 stories for us.

One Response to “IU CC Helps Young Girls Get Healthcare”

1. Oleta Wandless says:

   April 21, 2011 at 4:48 pm

   Loving the information on this website , you have done great job on the content .

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